Houston Astros closer Josh Hader picked up his 12th save of the season in Monday's 4-3 win over the Rays. Hader came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning up by one. The leadoff hitter reached on an error, and the first out occurred on a groundout, with the runner advancing to second. The tying run advanced to third on a stolen base, but Hader left that runner stranded by getting the next two hitters out on a bunt pop-up and a foul pop-up. The 31-year-old has converted all of his save opportunities this season with a 1.71 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP, a 12.43 K/9 rate, and a 2.14 BB/9 rate in 21 innings of work. Hader has been one of fantasy's most reliable sources of saves throughout his career, but walks and home runs have been issues at times. Fortunately, everything seems to be clicking for him in 2025.

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Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Konnor Griffin stayed hot over the weekend, going 4-for-9 with a double, four RBI, and two stolen bases between Saturday and Sunday's games for Single-A Bradenton. The Pirates' second-ranked prospect is now riding a nine-game hit streak and has pushed his season-long slash line to .324/.373/.547 with seven home runs and 17 stolen bases through only 33 games. In the 2024 first-rounder's first taste of professional ball this year, the strikeouts were a concern, logging a 29.9 percent K% through his first 25 games, however, that has gone down to 13.5 percent over his last eight games, so he looks to be settling in. The 6-foot-4 slugger will be at High-A sooner rather than later, and will find himself as the Pirates' top prospect by season's end after Bubba Chandler's eventual graduation; he should find himself within the top 25 in all of baseball as well.

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New York Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (lat) is till on track in his throwing program, according to manager Aaron Boone, and he's targeting a return to the mound in two to three weeks. Gil suffered a strained right lat during a bullpen session in spring training in Tampa on Feb. 28 and has was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 24 before the start of the regular season. Even if the 26-year-old doesn't suffer any setbacks as he continues to ramp up is right arm, he may not be able to make his 2025 debut until July. It's been a disappointing development so far this year for Gil, who was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 2024 after going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA (4.14 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP with 171 strikeouts and a league-high 77 walks in 151 2/3 innings over 29 regular-season starts. If he doesn't lower his walk rate when he returns, it could be rough sledding for Gil.

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Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-handed reliever Porter Hodge (oblique) will land on the 15-day injured list with a left-oblique injury. Hodge hasn't appeared out of Chicago's bullpen since throwing a scoreless inning against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, and now he'll miss at least the next two weeks of action. Before his injury, the 24-year-old had settled in as the team's co-closer alongside veteran righty Ryan Pressly. With Hodge now on the shelf, fantasy managers should expect Pressly to see most, if not all, of the save opportunities in the immediate future. In his second MLB season, Hodge has produced a bloated 5.12 ERA (4.17 FIP), a 1.50 WHIP, two saves, 11 walks and 19 strikeouts over 19 1/3 relief innings in 21 appearances.

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New York Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman (knee) has been dealing with persistent discomfort in his left knee, which has required multiple cortisone injections, according to MLB.com. However, the good news is that imaging has not shown any structural damage. Stroman is currently on the 15-day injured list due to left-knee inflammation. The 34-year-old veteran was nearing a minor-league rehab assignment before this setback, so it's now unclear when he might rejoin the big-league club. He's been on the IL since April 12, so when Stroman does go on a rehab assignment, it could be a lengthy one. The two-time All-Star allowed an unsightly 12 earned runs on 12 hits (two homers) while walking seven and striking out seven in 9 1/3 innings over three starts for the Yanks before his injury. There's a good chance Stroman will return in a long-relief role when he's healthy.

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New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (oblique) has been hitting off a tee and flips and running at roughly 60 to 70 percent, according to MLB.com. Chisholm said he actually has three separate tears in his right oblique muscle, but he's still hoping to beat the initial timetable for a return of four to six weeks. The 27-year-old is being eased back into baseball activities after suffering a right-oblique strain and is still in play to return next month. Although he was hitting just .181 (19-for-105) at the time of his injury, Chisholm had also contributed seven home runs, 17 RBI, 17 runs and six stolen bases for the Yankees. The native of the Bahamas needs to be stashed in all fantasy formats while he recovers. In the meantime, veteran DJ LeMahieu, who recently made his 2025 debut, is expected to see most of the playing time at the keystone in the Bronx.

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New York Yankee right-handed reliever Jake Cousins (forearm, pectoral) has been shut down from throwing for four to five days, manager Aaron Boone said on Saturday. Cousins, who is currently on the 60-day injured list with a right-forearm strain, started experiencing right-pectoral discomfort after a recent live batting practice session. However, tests didn't show any significant concerns, so the Yankees are hoping he can resume his throwing program after a brief shutdown period. The 30-year-old has yet to pitch in 2025 due to his forearm strain, but barring anymore setbacks, he's expected to be able to make his season debut at some point in June. Cousins looked good in his first season in the Bronx in 2024 with a 2.37 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, his first career save, a career-high 53 strikeouts and 20 walks in 38 regular-season relief innings.

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Texas Rangers infield prospect Sebastian Walcott went 1-for-5 on Saturday for Double-A Frisco, with the one hit being his fifth home run of the year. Three of those home runs have come in his last five games, though it hasn't translated to a higher batting average, which now stands at .239 through 36 games. The 6-foot-4 slugger offers a blend of power and speed, recording 10 home runs and 26 steals last season at High-A as an 18-year-old. MLB's ninth-ranked prospect overall has a bright future and expect the batting average to come around as he works toward a promotion to Triple-A by the end of the year. With one of the highest ceilings among prospects, the right-handed slugger is one who dynasty managers should be watching closely, if not already stashing.

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Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia is getting promoted to Triple-A Worcester. Boston's fifth-ranked prospect wasn't exactly knocking the cover off the ball at Double-A, hitting .256 with a .393 SLG (including three home runs) and four stolen bases, but had shown a good eye at the plate with a 13.0 percent walk rate that helped translate to a strong .355 OBP. He's coming off a 23-home run, 17-steal campaign across three levels of the minors last year in 107 games. Given his ability to hit for power and to provide some stolen base potential, the Venezuelan is a prospect to keep an eye on for fantasy managers in deep leagues in the event he can make a case for a late-season call-up.

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St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Quinn Mathews (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with the team's Florida Complex League affiliate on Monday. The southpaw threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out four in the outing. It's not clear how many starts the 24-year-old will make at that level, but an eventual return to Triple-A Memphis will take place once the rehab is complete. The 6-foot-5 hurler posted a 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and a 26.8 percent K-BB% in 26 starts across various levels of the minors last year, recording 202 strikeouts in 143 1/3 IP and earning Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors. The Cardinals' second-ranked prospect should push for a call-up to the big leagues later this year, assuming command and velocity are intact upon his return to Memphis, which were some catalysts for his IL stint in the first place. The closer it looks to a debut, the lefty will become one of the higher priority prospect stashes.

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Tampa Bay Rays middle infielder Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder), who took ground balls and threw to first base on Monday, is getting close to a return, according to Bally Sports' Ryan Bass. Kim is scheduled to take batting practice and do more infield work and could take live at-bats and be sent to the rookie-level Florida Complex League by the end of the week. "We look at this as being a big week," manager Kevin Cash said. The 29-year-old could start an official minor-league rehab assignment by next week, depending on how this week goes. He's currently on the 60-day injured list after having surgery for a right-shoulder injury that cut his 2024 season short with the Padres. When he does finally make his debut for the Rays, Kim is expected to become the team's primary shortstop and will offer some speed and positional versatility for those in deep-mixed fantasy managers in the middle infield.

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New York Yankees right-hander JT Brubaker (ribs) started a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Hudson Valley on Sunday, according to MLB.com. In his first rehab outing, Brubaker tossed three scoreless innings while giving up one hit, walking none and striking out three. Brubaker is currently on the 60-day injured list while recovering from fractured ribs. It was a nice first outing on the farm for the 31-year-old veteran, but he's likely to have a long rehab assignment and isn't expected to return to the big leagues until sometime in June. Brubaker suffered fractured ribs on Feb. 21 in spring training when he was hit by a line drive. He also missed the entire 2024 season dur to Tommy John surgery, so the Yankees aren't going to rush him back by any means. Brubaker remains off of the fantasy radar.

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Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi (calf) will start a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, according to SI.com's Jack Ankony. Benintendi will resume playing in games again on the farm after he was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 7 with a strained left calf. If the 30-year-old veteran is able to avoid a setback this week, it's possible he'll be able to rejoin the big-league roster by this weekend or at some point next week. Before getting injured, Benintendi was slashing just .224/.298/.400 with five home runs, 12 RBI and 13 runs scored in 85 at-bats. He should be a lineup regular for the Pale Hose when he returns from injury, but other than some modest power from the left side of the plate, Benintendi doesn't offer much in fantasy. He matched his career-high with 20 homers in 2024 but also hit .229 (109-for-477).

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Miami Marlins right-hander Eury Perez (elbow) will move his minor-league rehab assignment from Single-A Jupiter to Triple-A Jacksonville and start on Thursday, according to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. Perez, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2024 campaign, has made five rehab starts with Jupiter and has posted a 1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 12 strikeouts and three walks in 10 innings. The 22-year-old has looked good so far, but he threw only 49 pitches in four innings in his last rehab start with Jupiter, so he still has some more building up of his arm to do before the Marlins feel comfortable activating him from the 60-day IL for his 2025 debut. However, he could be back with the Fish in early June. The Dominican hurler looked strong in his first 19 big-league starts in 2023, but fantasy managers will want to temper expectations as he returns from TJ surgery.

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Miami Marlins right-hander Declan Cronin (hip) is restarting his minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Jupiter on Tuesday, according to MLB.com's Christina De Nicola. Cronin suffered a setback with his hip while on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville in mid-April, but the 27-year-old reliever is now ready to pitch in games again. He is finally trying to get over the hump while dealing with a strained left hip. If he can avoid any setbacks this time around, it's possible that Cronin could rejoin Miami's bullpen by the end of May. He has not pitched in the big leagues yet in 2025 because of his hip injury and won't really on the radar in fantasy leagues out of the bullpen. Cronin posted a 4.35 ERA (2.58 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with 72 strikeouts and 25 walks in 70 1/3 innings pitched over 56 relief appearances with the Marlins a year ago.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (knee) has progressed to jogging on the field and did so before Monday's series opener in Sacramento against the division-rival Athletics, according to MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. Trout has also hit off a batting machine and has been running on an anti-gravity treadmill as he recovers from a setback to his surgically repaired knee. The 33-year-old three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star is still without a timetable to return from the 10-day injured list, but he's making good progress and presumably could rejoin the major-league lineup by the end of May, barring a setback. Trout has been unable to stay healthy the last couple years and is no longer the stud outfielder he once was -- he was hitting .179 in his first 106 at-bats before getting hurt -- but he still belongs on fantasy rosters in all leagues as he sells out for power at the plate.

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San Francisco Giants right-hander Justin Verlander (pectoral) is dealing with a slight pectoral injury, but manager Bob Melvin is optimistic that the veteran hurler will make his next start, which is scheduled for this Saturday against the Washington Nationals. Verlander showed diminished velocity in his start on Sunday against the Athletics while allowing two earned runs on three hits while walking a season-high five batters and striking out only one in four innings of work. The 42-year-old former MVP and three-time Cy Young winner said his pec issue definitely affected his command in the no-decision against the A's, which won't endear him to fantasy managers looking to start him this weekend. Not only does Verlander have a weak 18.2% strikeout rate this year, but he's walking 9.3% of the batters he's faced as well, the highest mark of his career since 2008.

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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that rookie infielder Hyeseong Kim will continue to make starts with the team as the Dodgers look to get some rest for Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernandez and Michael Conforto. Roberts estimated that Kim will average 3.5 starts per week. Kim is making the start in center field and is hitting ninth in Monday's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Brandon Pfaadt as L.A. gives Andy Pages a day off. In addition to playing solid defense, the 26-year-old South Korean rookie has been great at the plate in his first 14 MLB games, going 14-for-31 (.452) with a double, home run, five RBI, nine runs scored, three steals, two walks and five strikeouts, so he'll stick in the majors instead of going back to the minors. Kim isn't going to provide much power for fantasy managers, but he'll play enough to warrant a roster spot in deep-mixed leagues for now.

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Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (hand) said that his hand is "getting better," but he still feels it when he swings. Alvarez said he played with his hand hurting for "a while," but it reached a point where "I had to stop because the hand started getting inflamed." The 27-year-old All-Star is on the 10-day injured list with a muscle strain in his right hand, and it's unclear when he might return to the lineup despite being eligible to return from the IL. The Astros want to make sure that he is completely beyond the issue before activating him, so fantasy managers must remain patient. Alvarez's slow start in 2025 -- .210/.306/.430 slash line with three homers in 29 games -- makes a lot more sense now that we know he's been dealing with this issue for a while. Fantasy managers can only stay patient and hope that Alvarez can turn things around whenever he returns.

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Athletics outfielder Miguel Andujar (rib) has been scratched from Monday's series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels due to right-rib soreness. Manager Mark Kotsay said that Andujar will probably be available off the bench on Monday, but the team wanted to give him a break from the field. Tyler Soderstrom is in left field and is batting third, while Gio Urshela is playing third base and hitting ninth against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano on Monday in Sacramento. The 30-year-old Andujar appears to be day-to-day for now and could return to the field when the series against the Angels continues on Tuesday at Sutter Health Park. Other than his strong batting average (.312) this year, Andujar has delivered meager production for fantasy managers in AL-only leagues with only three homers, 19 RBI, 13 runs and a stolen base in 125 at-bats.

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